A year in Copenhagen

Words by Aimee O'Keefe

My time in a little utopia. That’s the only word that seems to reflect life in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The city is big enough to be exciting but small enough to remain cosy. Known for its old school charm, beautiful people and progressive way of life- Copenhagen, or copes, as I like to call it, is beyond compare. Even though thinking about my time in Copenhagen makes me feeling an intense longing and nostalgia, I hope to inspire a similar new lease on life that the city gave me.

I lived in central Copenhagen. I met lifelong friends. I traveled. More than anything, I was happy. Copenhagen allowed me to not only have an entire year of being truly happy, but it provided me with experiences, new understandings about ways of living and about myself. This happiness, feeling of content and simple way of life can be called the Danish way, and I think this is probably the main reason why I loved Copenhagen and my time there so deeply. Here are some of my favourite snippets.

Walking around Indre By at 9am

Indre By is the central city area, though it’s pretty small. I remember walking across Kings Garden and into town for my morning coffee and finding that everything was shut and no one seemed to be awake. There’s a few stray bike riders, some young mums and dads pushing prams and other than that, not much else.

Danes wake up slow. Danes move slowly. As a result, Places don’t really open until 10am, and school and work starts at a similar time. Initially in shock that I couldn’t get my morning coffee, I instead went to the park, read my book and looked at the clouds. I seem to be adopting the Danish way of life by necessity, and I think I’m going to love it here.

Riding my bike

Riding a bike is reminiscent of childhood. Feelings of being free, happy and just having fun. As an adult, these feelings persist. And, in Copenhagen, bike is basically the only way to go. It’s small and flat and everyone owns a bike, not a car. Every time I’d ride my bike, sincerely christened Blythe- I would instantly feel elated. So no matter what I was doing or where I was going, if I was riding my bike there, I was already feeling good. Seeing everyone on bikes also exudes a quaint, simple way of life that is just nice to see. Not to mention, it’s great for the environment (a very Danish quality!)

A night out on the streets of Copenhagen was also quite the charade. It was hilarious, as everyone left the bars on their bikes, riding unusually fast or maybe a bit wobbly, sometimes with two or three others somehow piled on the back. So, moral of the story: We all need to ride more bikes! Walking home in the 3pm sunset at peak hour

Another favourite. I’d usually do my groceries around this time. I’d take the short stroll down the street lined with tall, colourful houses and turn into the little corner store. I’d grab some (very expensive) groceries and stroll slowly back to where I lived.

As we already know, the Danes take things slow. This is the same for work and school hours everyone is home by 4pm!

The sun would be setting, the sky a subdued pinky purple glow. Young kids are walking safely home with their friends, mums and dads riding by with the little ones in the front of their bikes, a few cars driving by, but not many. People are nibbling on pastries and hot-dogs, the air is crisp, as everyone escapes to their warm, cosy, candlelit homes.

Hiking in the Danish countryside

You know when people ask you about one of your most spiritual experiences? This is mine. I took myself on a three day solo hiking trip to a coastal country town about an hour and half drive from Copenhagen.

I stayed in a guest-house and can honestly say I didn’t talk to a single soul except for the receptionist the entire time, who could barely hold a conversation in English in any case. It was summer and I spent three days walking- along the hills, pathways winding through farmyards, up coastal cliffs, along pebbly beaches and roaming the streets of quaint little towns. Having literally no other means of transport except your legs really means you do a lot of walking, and a lot of seeing. And a lot of thinking.

Walking and being truly alone for three whole days in the charming Scandinavian countryside was invaluable for my headspace. Being somewhere I wanted to be for so long, I set goals, I discovered what I wanted out of the next year, I formed new ideas about who I wanted to be and who I wanted to spend my days with.

Falling in love

But my favourite snippet from my year in Copenhagen is finally knowing the feeling of falling in love. Unlike falling in love with a person, I fell in love with a place. Also unlike falling in love with another person, it’s always there and you can return to that love whenever you want. I have more pictures of Copenhagen than any person on my phone, if that’s not proof of true love, I don’t know what is.